


Bonding Ritual

by Zetal (Rodinia)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: All References to Mind Rape Are Unfortunately Canon, Can People Please Stop Torturing Sammy?, M/M, Past Mind Rape, Past hallucinations, spellwork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-24
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-08-24 09:33:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8367271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodinia/pseuds/Zetal
Summary: Dean's been taken.  While trying to find a way to track him, Sam found a spell that would make it so that they'd never need help tracking each other again.  Unfortunately, one of the spell components seems impossible to come by.  Where do you find an angel in love with a human?





	

**Author's Note:**

> This sprung from a Cards Against Humanity game I was playing. I drew the card "The grace of an angel in love with a human". This is where my brain went almost immediately.

“What do we need?” Castiel peered over Sam’s shoulder, looking at the book.

Sam put a finger on the list to make sure he didn’t skip anything. “Sage, salt, holy water, looks like mostly basic stuff. Powdered deer bone, that’s a little weird, but I know we’ve got some in one of the storerooms. Might have to make a run into town, it says the mint has to be fresh… I swear, we need to start an herb garden. Fresh usually works better anyway.”

“I think Dean actually bought some fresh mint for making drinks for the horse race yesterday. I’ll go see if there’s any left.” Castiel started towards the kitchen.

Sam read the next few, and his heart sank. “Don’t bother, Cas. There’s one on here that explains why no one’s ever done this spell.”

Castiel turned back, head tilted curiously. “What is it?”

“You need the grace of an angel in love with a human, and then the human’s blood. Apparently the low probability of such a bond forming makes it the only one strong and pure enough for this spell. Even soulmates.” Not that they had Dean here to exploit the soulmate bond with, but that wasn't the point. The point was that they didn't have an angel in love with a human.

“I see.” Castiel turned and left. Sam closed the book with a sigh. The spell would have been incredibly useful, making it so that the three of them would never lose each other again. They’d never lose time having to find where their abductor had taken whichever of them’s turn it was to be abducted. If they’d done the spell before, Cas and Dean would have been in to kick Toni’s scrawny British ass before that bitch had gotten a blowtorch anywhere near Sam’s foot. And more importantly, they wouldn’t be losing time that Dean might not have now.

Sam found the spell and suggested doing it the second they got Dean back. Cas looked over the spell and suggested doing it right then. They had enough of Dean’s belongings that they could use the connection. Once the spell was done, they’d know where to go to get Dean, and he’d know they were coming for him. Dean could kick their ass afterwards, but they both were pretty sure he wouldn’t have any problems with being linked to his brothers this way.

Castiel’s voice cut in to Sam’s frustration. “Does it say if it has to be a particular type of mint? We have both fresh spearmint and fresh peppermint.” Sam looked over to see Cas holding two plastic tubs of herbs.

“Uh…” Sam opened the book again. “No, just says mint.”

“Okay. I believe spearmint will probably work better.” He set one tub down on the table. “Anything else we need from the kitchen you haven’t told me about?”

Sam gave Cas an odd look. “Cas, it doesn’t matter. We don’t have the grace.”

“Yes, we do. Unless this spell is so sensitive that a semi-fallen angel’s grace won’t work. In which case, I’d think they’d be a little more specific on the mint.”

Sam took a moment to absorb that. Oh. Well, it’s not like it was entirely a surprise. But… “Um. Okay. There’s still the blood. Dean’s not…”

“I told you, we can get the connection from his belongings.” Castiel took off again, leaving Sam rolling his eyes. He started gathering other components, though. If Castiel was going to go through with trying the spell, the quicker it failed, the quicker they could get back to finding a solution that would work.

When he went into Dean’s room, the first thing he saw was Dean’s jacket. On impulse, he checked the pockets. The amulet was there, in a well-protected inner pocket where it would lie close to Dean’s heart. It was perfect. All three of them had carried it for a while, Cas and Sam always considering it Dean’s, so if anything would help bring Dean into the connection the amulet would.

Cas smiled when he saw it. “Perfect. Give me your hand.”

“Hmm?” Sam held out his hand, though. He was not expecting Cas to draw a knife across his palm. “What was that for?”

Cas turned Sam’s hand so that his blood would mix with the herbs he’d gathered. “We need it for the spell. You knew that.”

“I did?”

“My grace, your blood.” Castiel gave Sam a sad smile. “I checked while you were gathering stuff. It never said the human had to love the angel in return. Are you ready?”

“Wait a minute.” Sam stared at Cas. “You’re in love with me?”

“I told you that. When we brought you home from your most recent torture. You were very kind about it, but also very clear that nothing would happen.” Castiel stared at him quizzically. “You don’t remember?”

“I… I remember,” Sam said. He did, now. “I just thought it was a dream. Remnants from the drugs Toni gave me. That was real?”

“It was. I’m sorry. I thought you… I didn’t realize you didn’t know I’d cleared the drugs from your system.” Castiel picked up the lighter and offered it to Sam. “Do you want to do the honors?”

“Sure.” Sam took the lighter. “Cas, I thought I was drugged. And I couldn’t… what Toni did to me, with the drugs, I couldn’t put myself through that. Not with you.”

“I understand, Sam. And it's okay. You don't have to explain anything to me. If I’d realized you thought you were drugged, I wouldn’t have said anything.”

“You saying something is why I thought I was drugged! You…" Sam cut off with a huff as he tried to figure out how to explain. "I’ve heard those words from you in dreams for years, and I just… I assumed… I am so sick of people messing with my mind, making me question what’s real and what’s not. If I’d known it was real, I wouldn’t have shut you down. Because I’ve been in love with you for a long time.”

Cas stood up a little straighter, which Sam would have thought impossible. He searched Sam's eyes, looking for something Sam couldn't guess. “You have?”

“Yeah.” Sam lit the spell ingredients, dropping the lighter in shock when he felt the burn inside. A quick glance at Cas showed that he felt it too, and the amulet warmed until it was burning Sam’s hand. As the burning faded, he could feel Cas and Dean. Just a small pinprick, Cas feeling like sunshine and Dean feeling like home, but he knew immediately where to go to get Dean. “Let’s go. We can talk on the drive. Figure out what to tell Dean.”

“About what? The spell we just did, or…”

“About us. You and me. I don’t know if you talked to him, but I did. He knows how I feel about you, and while he was weirded out at first, he’s been encouraging me to go for it.”

“He didn’t believe me when I told him what happened. I guess that would be why. Said I should try again, that there had to be some kind of miscommunication.” Castiel reached out, taking Sam’s hand and healing the cut. “I should listen to him more often, it seems.”

Sam groaned. "Don't do that, he's full of shit way too often. He just... happened to be right about this one."

**Author's Note:**

> Comments will be used to start an herb garden for the Winchesters.


End file.
